This application claims the priority of German Patent Document 100 11 907.7, filed in Germany, Mar. 11, 2000, and German Patent Document 101 06 994.4, filed in Germany, Feb. 15, 2001.
The invention relates to a deformation element assembly for a vertical belt adjuster of a safety belt system or for a retaining rod of a new-equipped partition wall in a motor vehicle, whereby the deformation element is disposed between a receiving element and a column or pillar of a motor vehicle.
German Patent document DE 196 51 092 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,687) discloses a safety belt device, where an anchor element is connected to the vehicle body by means of a screw held in an absorption element. The screw is held in position by means of a spring element on a pillar of the vehicle.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,613 discloses a safety belt device that is fastened to a vehicle pillar by means of a connecting bolt and is connected to a conical element that is fixed in a holding member by means of overlapping claws or the like. In the event of a head impact, the conical element detaches in that the overlapping claws bend upward so that the result is some degree of absorption of the impact energy.
Moreover, German Patent document DE 295 19 483 U1 discloses a device for supporting a safety belt strap in a motor vehicle with the end or deflection assembly hardware for the belt strap. Said hardware is anchored on the motor vehicle body over the shoulder height of a passenger to be strapped in. Between the end or deflection assembly hardware and the vehicle body there is at the anchoring point an energy absorber, which is effective when a force is directed toward the end or deflection assembly hardware outwardly from inside the vehicle.
An object of the invention is to provide a deformation element for a vertical belt adjuster of a safety belt system or for a mounting device of a net-equipped partition wall in a motor vehicle that guarantees a reliable connecting screw for the vertical belt adjuster or for the retaining rod. Said connecting screw can be optionally tightened and absorbs bending moments. In the event of head impact a deformation of the mounting or the fastening for the vertical belt adjuster is guaranteed.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention by providing a deformation element assembly for a vertical belt adjuster of a safety belt system or for a retaining rod of a net-equipped partition wall in a motor vehicle, whereby the deformation element is disposed between a receiving element and a pillar of a motor vehicle, wherein the receiving element is held on a pillar wall of a vehicle body pillar with intercalation of the deformation element; by means of a fastening screw which is passed axially through, starting from the receiving element, and is held in a threaded head of a sleeve element, wherein the threaded head rests against an inside wall surface of the pillar wall in an operating position; and in a head impact position the threaded head is detached from the inside wall surface of the wall.
According to one design of the invention, the locking rail of a safety belt system is held on a pillar wall of the vehicle body with a receiving element formed as a support plate, with intercalation of a deformation element. By means of a fastening screw, which is passed through, starting from the locking rail, and is held in a threaded head of a sleeve element, the threaded head rests against an inside surface of the pillar wall in one operating position. In a head impact position the threaded head of the sleeve element is detached from the pillar wall due to the deformation of the deformation element of the threaded head of the sleeve element. In this manner a definable and reliable tightening of the screw is achieved; and the sleeve element assumes the bending moments, resulting from a belt pull.
According to another design of the invention, the deformation element can also be used for a retaining rod of a net-equipped partition wall. This net-equipped partition wall is disposed at right angles in the vehicle and is fastened by means of the retaining rods on the side in the vehicle body. This net-equipped partition wall serves to retain animals, objects or the like, which are in the rear of the vehicle and which are thrown to the front in the event of a crash or when the motor vehicle is suddenly braked. In this case the receiving element comprises a locking element with a keyhole shaped receiving opening for the free end of the retaining rod of the net-equipped partition wall. This free end is provided with a collar, which reaches behind the keyhole shaped receiving opening and thus can be fixed in position. To ensure that this rod will deform or recede in the event of a head impact, the deformation element is held between the body pillar and the receiving element, such as the locking element.
The sleeve element extends preferably from the receiving element (support plate, locking element) through the deformation element and is braced with the threaded head against an inside wall surface of the pillar of the vehicle body. In the threaded head of the sleeve element the fastening screw is held in such a manner that the receiving element is tensioned between the threaded head of the sleeve element and the head of the fastening screw.
A guide element for the threaded head is connected to the pillar wall. The inside of the guide element exhibits opposing grooves, which run axially and in which there are external axial strips, which are molded on in the threaded head of the sleeve element and correspond with these grooves.
The sleeve element sits in the Y direction so as to move in the guide element, which is connected stationarily to an inside reinforcing plate or to a wall of the pillar of the vehicle body. The head of the sleeve element exhibits notches in the area of the strips. Between these notches and the axial grooves in the guide element there are clamping elements, such as spring elements or the like. So that the threaded nut cannot rotate at the same time that the connecting screw is tightened, there are two axial strips.
To hold the threaded nut of the sleeve element in the correct position prior to assembly or to enable in a simple manner the replacement of the deformation element following head impact, the guide element is provided, for example, with one or with two retaining spring(s). They are located either in the grooves for the strips of the threaded nut and lock in the corresponding notches or are offset by 90 degrees thereto.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.